Maximilian Kilman, Dinos Mavropanos, Lewis Orford and Josh Briggs made a surprise visit to West Ham United Foundation’s Bobby Moore Sports Hub recently, sharing their advice and answering talented teenage footballers’ questions, much to their delight.
The Hammers stars were visiting players from our Foundation’s Post-16 programme, a unique two-year Football and Education Scholarship, which gives 16-18-year-olds the chance to study a BTEC in sport, a degree, or A Levels of their choice, while playing football at a competitive level and representing the Club in national football leagues.
The heart of this initiative lies in providing students with football development while training with high-level West Ham coaches alongside their education. It's a platform that allows players to not only continue their professional football ambitions, but also obtain recognised qualifications and secure their future interests off the field.
Following the insightful Q&A, where our players shared insights from their illustrious careers, in an attempt to spark inspiration among the young students, the players spent time signing autographs and posing for pictures.
Kilman said: “It was really good to come here and give aspiring footballers in education some advice, so hopefully they take it on board and they can continue to progress in their careers.
“I think it’s great that West Ham offer this, and it’s a real privilege to attend these sorts of Foundation events and advise these students on what it takes to become the best version of yourself. Education is extremely important, and it’s vital to have a plan A and B when it comes to football, so it’s important that these guys put their education first as well as their football.
“It’s amazing to be able to stand here and give advice, and it’s so important for them to get as much as they can. I’ve had a lot of ups and downs in my career, so hopefully they can listen to what we had to say and keep working hard, progressing, and getting to where they want to be in life.”
Kilman’s fellow defender Mavropanos said: “It was really good to come here and visit students who have the same dreams that we did when we were young. It was good to answer some questions and give them advice.
“It’s very important to have these programmes for the players as it allows them to continue playing their football and also continue their studies off the pitch. It was good to show them that it is possible and they have to believe in themselves.
“When I was younger, I was always told about the importance of education as a backup to football, and it’s always something that will help you further in life. It’s always our honour to come here, help young players, and inspire them to do their best in everything they do in life, whether that’s football or something else.”
For Academy of Football graduate Orford, the opportunity to chat with the players, some of whom were the same age as him, was a heartwarming experience.
It also gave the lifelong Hammers fan an opportunity to reconnect with Senior Academy Integration Officer Jim Hampsheir, who scouted Orford as a seven-year-old and brought him to the Club’s Academy.
“It was a good afternoon,” said Orford. “It’s a great experience to come down here with Josh [Briggs] and a few of the first-team players and chat to students about our careers.
“These programmes are very important for young players getting scouted again. They’ve probably had rejections in the past and need to rebuild their confidence, and places like this will help that and give them another chance to show people what they can do.
“I’ve been lucky enough to come through the Academy since the age of seven, and hopefully they can use that as inspiration and get themselves back in an Academy.
“Jim [Hampsheir] scouted me when I was six or seven and brought me into the Club’s Academy. I signed with the Club when I was nine and have kept in touch with him ever since. He’s been a massive part of my journey, and I’m very grateful.”
Hampsheir himself said: “The Foundation offers the Post-16 students the opportunity to replicate life as a professional footballer, but the most important thing for us is their education.
“We’ve had some players come in that are now doing their coaching qualifications and have become full-time coaches at the Club, while we’ve had some who are also doing some scouting and work on all other Foundation pathways. They come in as young footballers and may well go on and be professional footballers at West Ham or elsewhere, but if not, then there are plenty of other opportunities for them.
“The boys really enjoyed having the players here, and it’s a real inspiration for them because some of these players may well go on to different clubs. When you hear someone like Maximilian chat about his own pathway, it makes such a difference to these students, and having someone like Lewis here, who I scouted when he was younger, was excellent. It was nice to see familiar faces to help inspire our players with their own pathways.
“These programmes can build these players’ confidence, and it is only a positive. Some of the boys are ball boys at home games against teams such as Manchester United, and days like today have a massive impact. It doesn’t really get much better than learning from someone who plays in your position in the Premier League.”
One of the players to meet our four Hammers was 18-year-old Kevin Akpoedafe, who said: “It was nice to meet the players, and hearing their stories was inspirational, and it shows us that we can make it. The fact we had some players who also play in the same position as me at centre-back was excellent, and I got a great insight about their defending from the questions I asked.
“It’s been a challenge to get myself here, but being a part of West Ham’s Post-16 programme is a great experience. It means a lot to be a part of the programme because of the opportunities and chances they give us and the good support from the coaches. We get to do lessons and study alongside our football, which is a great opportunity to give us different pathways.”
Also in attendance was 18-year-old Kevin Musimami, who added: “It’s a great environment to be a part of, and I’ve met lots of great people through this programme. There are a few people who have come through this programme who now play for professional football, and that’s what I’m trying to do in my own career. I want to play professionally, and this programme has given me lots of experiences to help me prepare for that.
“It was great to have the players here, as they gave us advice that we need at this moment of our careers. The most important thing I learned from them was about always working hard. That’s part of West Ham and what we’re trying to replicate.”